Is the Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid worth it?

Whether the Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid is worth it depends on how you use your truck. It is highly worth it if you can take advantage of its unique mobile generator capability or do a lot of stop-and-go driving. It is less compelling if your driving is almost exclusively on the highway.

When It Is Worth It

• You need exportable power: The killer feature is Pro Power Onboard. The available 7.2 kW system can power a construction site, a campsite, or even act as a home backup generator during an outage. Non-hybrid trucks cannot match this level of exportable electricity.
• You do significant city or mixed driving: The hybrid system shines in stop-and-go traffic, where it recovers energy and shuts off the engine at idle, yielding a noticeable boost in city MPG over standard gas engines.
• You want effortless towing torque: With 570 lb-ft of torque, it pulls heavy loads confidently, feeling exceptionally strong off the line.

When It Is Not Worth It

• You only drive on the highway: Hybrid systems offer little to no efficiency benefits at sustained highway speeds. If you primarily cruise on the interstate, a standard 3.5L EcoBoost or 5.0L V8 will deliver similar fuel economy without the extra hybrid weight and cost.
• You want maximum payload capacity: Because the 1.5-kWh battery pack and hybrid hardware add weight to the chassis, the PowerBoost has a slightly lower maximum payload rating than an equivalently configured standard 3.5L EcoBoost.
• You plan to keep it for 15+ years and fear complexity: While Ford’s hybrid systems have proven durable, a twin-turbocharged V6 paired with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery naturally introduces more long-term failure points than a naturally aspirated V8.